The Iola register., 1887-03-18

We do not feel that way today. As we
gaza upon the sacrifice Of Christ. and
think of what we have been and what we
have done, our hearts melt within us. We
see one dying accursed for or sin, and
we hear him in his dying words begging
for our service, and yet how little service
we have rendered OF this short life we
have begrudged God even fragment
Alasi Alas! Some Of US have lived out
the most Of our days, and yet we have
rendered to God no earnest service. Sad,
that we could have so maltreated him ON
whom all our hopes depend.
oh, my brethren and sisters in Christ,
to-day join hands with me in confession
before Christ II there be any place more
humble than another, let rs take it. II
there be any prayer more importunste
than another, let us breathe it. If there
be any confession more bitter than an
other, let rs now weep It out:
Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ the mighty maker died
For man, the creatures sin.
Once more: This is . tender and alb
scrbing scene because it Is anticipativa
My brethren. we are not always going ia
stay here. This ID not our home This ID
only the vestibule Of the church In which,
at last we expect to enter. Az
ter while our names will
be taken of the church books, or there
will be mark in the mar gin to indicate
that we have gone to better church and
higher communion. Our Father is not
going to let his children remain in the
dust. The grave is no place for US to stay
in, 1.-THE trumpet shall sound and the
dead shall rise" The Lord shall descend
from Heaven with q shout and the voice
Of the archangel, and we shall rise. The
white robe in which they put us to our
last slumber here must get winter. Oh,
the reunion Of patriarchs, and apostles,
and prophets, and of all our glorified
kindred, and of that ''great multi
tude that no man can number!'
Our sorrows over. Our Jour
ney ended. 1t will be as when kings ban
quet. And, just as the snow of winter
melts and the fields will brighten in the
glorious springtime, SO it will be with all
these cold sorrows Of earth; they shall be
melted away at last before the warm sun
shine of Heaven.
While / present these thoughts this
morning does it not seem that Heaven
comes very near to us. as though our
friends, whom we thouht q great way
oil, are not in the distance, but close byl
You have sometimes come down to q
river at nightfall, and you have
been surprised how easily you could
hear voices across the river. You shout
ed over to the other side Of the river, and
they shouted back. 1t is said that when
George Whitefield preached in Third
street, Philadelphia, one evening time. his
voice was heard clear across TO the New
Jersey shore. When l was little while
chaplain in the army, remember how at
eventide we could easily hear the voices
of the pichets across the Potomac. just
when they were using ordinary tones.
And as we come to-day and stand by the
river Of Jordan, that divides US from orv
friends who are gone, it seems to me we
stand on one bank and they stand on tho
other. and it is only narrow stream, and
our voices go and their voices come.
Hark! Hush! l hear distinctly what
they say:
These are they who come out Of great tribula
tion, and had their robes washed and made
white in the blood of the Lamb.
Still the voice comes across the waters,
and hear:
ave hunger no more, we thirst no more,
neither shall the sun light on US, nor any
heat, for tho Lamb, which is in the midst
of the throne, leads US to living fountains
of water, and God wipeth away oil tears
from our eyes.M